Yunnan Dha/Dao?
 

Hello,

I recently acquired this dha or dao. The theme of the handle decoration, the blade and overall feel of it made me think this piece is from Yunnan or Vietnam. Other forum members generally agree that it exhibits some Chinese influence, but is very dha-like, so perhaps made by a Chinese craftsman from Northern Thailand/China border area.

It is 82cm long. The blade feels nice, with an 8mm -thick spine, tapering nicely to the flared tip. I haven't cleaned the blade or etched it yet but I think I see a hardened edge line. I'll confirm after etch.

The handle consists of two, probably antler, carved scales, with nicely done silver cap and ferrule. The guard is a loose flimsy thing that looks to have been added later. It is crudely decorated and does not match the handle. The handle must have been taken apart at some point, as the fittings are not well aligned with the carved portion.

Has anyone seen anything similar? Any other thoughts or clues on the origin of this things? Some information on the carvings?

Thanks,
Emanuel

Hello Emanuel:

Thank you for showing this very interesting piece. I think you have a Chinese made piece somewhat in imitation of a Kachin-style sword dha.

Let's start with the hilt. This is really what gives the sword a dha-like quality: the central carved antler/bone pieces flanked by two silver ferrules. These are features seen on Burmese and Thai dha, although a single piece of ivory rather than two bone slabs would be the norm. There are several other features that are also atypical of dha.

The orientation of the hilt with a slight downward curving from guard to pommel is not typical of a dha and more suggestive of a Chinese dao. Also, the silver work is "heavier" than we usually see on dha, while the pommel plate clearly has a Chinese geometric pattern.

The carving on the antler/bone handle is interesting, showing a fawn, a heron or stork and several figures, one of whom is elderly and has a long beard, as well as vines and flowers. These carvings are not really in the traditional patterns of Burmese or Thai work, which usually focus on Buddhist or spiritual themes with heavier vegetative motifs. Again, I'm seeing a Chinese style to these carvings.

The flimsy guard is a distraction, clearly of Chinese origin, and probably added later as you suggest.

The blade is interesting, showing an upcurved cutting edge and back edge, with progressive widening from hilt to tip. The end is squared off. This is a wider blade than we see on most dha.

This blade is not typical of a Kachin-style sword dha, and again strikes me as more like a Chinese dao. The Kachin-style sword dha has a straighter blade with minimal widening from hilt to tip, and is considerably narrower than this sword.

Overall, I think you have a Chinese sword somewhat in the style of a Kachin sword dha. Since the Kachin people live in northern Burma and neighboring Yunnan, it would be logical to place this piece as coming from Yunnan.

There are others on this forum who have more knowledge of Yunnan than I do and I hope they will comment also.

Regards,

Ian.

Hi Ian,

Thank you very much for your reply.

Yes the blade shape, the swollen handle, and the carvings are what struck me as particularly Chinese, while the tripartite composition of the handle is very dha-like.

I'm leaning more and more towards the handle material being bone. I was afraid it might be plastic but I don't think so anymore.

I've easily removed the guard and the overall lines of the piece flows much nicer now.

Regards,
Emanuel

Please share pictures of the blade once you have had a chance to etch it. There might be some clues in the blade origin based on its construction.

Chinese influence, probably north Burma origin
 

The asymmetrical grip (slight downward cant and a low "hump" on the upper side) is stylistically Chinese, I can't think of any SE Asian swords that have this feature. The guard is not necessarily Chinese, since most Chinese saber guards have a raised flange or moulding around the rim, unless they are quite thick to begin with. The metal pommel with its flattened, bun shaped extremity sitting on top of a cylindrical body looks more Burmese to me. A suggestion has been made that this weapon could be Vietnamese -- the possibility can't be discounted completely but in my experience, a hilt of this configuration coming from Vietnam would tend to either not have a metal pommel cap, or else have a lobed pommel vaguely reminiscent of that on a jian from China. In the former case (no metal), the end of the grip would either expand slightly if it were the downward-curving type, or else taper to a bullet-shaped terminus if it were the longer style that was straight or slightly upward-curving.

Thanks Philip. As always, erudite and concise.

The reason I noted that the guard on this sword was "clearly Chinese" is that there really is no alternative explanation. Traditional Burmese dha do not have guards, and the motifs on this one are not Burmese, Shan (Tai), Lanna, Lao or Cambodian--that only leaves a Chinese origin as a reasonable possibility.

Ian.

Congratulations Emanuel on the beautiful piece. Very interesting and puzzling piece. insightful analysis by Ian and Philip. I must say I'm not clear on this piece either...Chinese Tai mix from along the Yunnan, Lao and Vietnamese borders??? I thought perhaps too it was Vietnamese....but after Ian and Philips comments it seems like more of a Chinese influenced/ inspired piece. The ferrule does reminds one somewhat of the hourglass/reflected lotus you see in Tai swords. The one old Tai pattern I can pick out is ///\\\///\\\///\\\ band on the pommel just above the follage.

Thank you gentlemen for the great comments.

The hump on the handle and the Chinese carving style are the main elements that made me consider a Chinese dao. The mix if features and the quality are what appealed to me.

Any more clues on the geometric motif? the alternating T mark?

I will post more pics after cleaning and etching the blade.

Regards,
Emanuel